BOXING

Hokitika Guardian, 6 July 1929, Page 2

BOXING

LIGHT-HEAVY CHAMPIONSHIP

WELLINGTON, July 2

In one of the fastest and cleanest contests seen between big men here for niiinr years past, "Eddie Parker retained the professional light-heavyweighi boxing championship of the Dominion at the Town Hall last night by defeat ing Jim. Broadfoot, of Auckland, on points. The challenger was a picture of physical fitness, dancing about on his toes throughout the fifteen rounds, and possessing that extra hit of pace which enabled him to beat his opponon to the punch'/ So, -.cldse was the contest that the judges disagreed, and the referee gave his vote for the champion. A draw would have been a better verdict.

The-champion, who has only had two contests within the past two years, both against Broadfoot, who defeated him on points on both occasions, looked - trifle oh. the heavy .. side, while his opponent was the picture of physica’ fitness. , Tin* weights Were announced as: Parker 12st. 21b. .and Brnndfooi list. Ulb;

T 1 io pair were well-matched as /tr height and reach. Broadfoot started dancing about on his toes, while Parkeconserved bis energies by flat-footed methods. The ' Aucklander landed a good left in the opening round, but the champion evened up with a solid righ' uppcVoui" as his opponent came m Broadfoot. was the clever in close, and scored well in the second round, bid Parker-was hitting straight er, and timing his .punches better. Broadfoot forced the pace in the third, and go' home with both hands to the head Parker jabbed a left uppercut home and rushing the challenger to the rop n s slammed home right and left to the face. ’ The pace warmed towards the close of the round, when they mixed it freely, the champion getting the better of sonic heavy exchanges. The challenger rushed in twice in the fourth session,, aiitt landed a good left, hut a solid right to the body went down l: Parker’s.account. Broadfoot kept holing in, hut Parker met him on one occasion with a whizzing left uppercut They were moving fast for big fellows. The champion tapped a left to tlie face in.the fifth, but Broadfoot returned the blow. Broadfoot was still dancing about on his toes, and hopped in to score to the face with the left. Parker, however, was still meeting the challenger’s rushes with straight lefts and uppercuts. When the .'gong went, Broadfoot skipped to his corner like a dancing master. ■- In close the challenger'slammed several, short rights to the champion’s ribs .in the sixth session. Broadfoot was missing with right swings, hut was still on his .toes., Parker was following Jack Jonhson’s methods of walking flat-looted after his opponent.-' They went into top gear in the seventh, during which some exciting exchanges were witnessed. Parker was boxing very coolly, and appeared to' he lasting better than the Aucklander. In the eighth, Broadfoot rushed in, and planted a good so|jd left to the face, repeating the blow a few . seconds later. The challenger twice darted in, and scored with a left to the head. He left himself very open as he came in, but 'Parker missed with a . right swing at an open target. Opening the ninth another left to the face went down to the Aucklander s account. Parker waded in, but missed with a heavy right across aimed for the head. The challenger made an elusive target, as he was sidestepping frequently, and still prancing about on his toes. In the tenth, Parker landed right and left to the body as Broadfoot came in, and a little later hooked a the left sharply to the head. A beautiful straight left to the face was also scored *by the champion in this round. The challenger got in a solid left rip to the body opening the eleventh, and repeated the dose a little later. He followed this up with right and left to the head. The house roared approval when they waded into each other with both hands in mid-ring. Broadfoot scored heavily with the right, * but Parker met him half way. It was the best heavy-weight display seen in-a local ring for many a long day. Broadfoot snapped the left to the face in the twelfth, and rushed into place loft to the face and right to the body. Broadfoot continued aggressive in the “Devil’s Round,” boring in to slam left to the head. Parker was scoring as his opponent rushed in, and his blows were not so spectacular, but many of them were effective. Parker seemed to be tiring in the fourteenth, during which the challenger kept boring in. Parker scored, two light lefts to the face, and scored with the same weapon as his. opponent rushed in, opening a gash on the challenger s cheek high up. In the lust round, Parker sparkled up, and got the better of a willing three minutes. Broadfoot was after a knock-out, but the champion, like Barkis, was willin’, and they wenti at each other with a will. The deciding round was in Parker’s favour, and the champion made his best showing of the contest in this session, finishing strongly. The judges, Messrs B. A. Guise and 32. Perry, disagreed, and the referee, jCr Earl Stewart, gave his vote for Parker.